


Morning Song

by PeppyDragon



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt No Comfort, SO. MUCH. ANGST.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-18 23:11:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10627125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeppyDragon/pseuds/PeppyDragon
Summary: In a moment of weakness, Evfra finds himself at the Tavetaan in the wee hours of the morning. His thoughts descend into sorrow, as is his custom - though this time the source is not the kett. It's the vexing and intoxicating Pathfinder and her budding romance with Evfra's former friend.





	1. Morning Song

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own a damn thing here. Don't sue!
> 
> The title song for this little piece is "Morning Song," by the Lumineers. Enjoy!

Evfra sat stonily at the bar, staring into the strange drink in front of him. Since the Milky Way races had come to Andromeda, and since they had become such good allies, it was hard to go anywhere without seeing their influence. Credits were being traded in the marketplace of Aya and beyond. Their foods had begun to be called delicacies, despite their ability to back up an angara's system for days. And now their drinks were being served at Tavetaan.

Evfra knew he couldn't be mad about it. After all, he had ordered one, himself. But it was beginning to wear on him more and more, as every pass through Aya reminded him of the newcomers.

It wasn't that he was concerned for his people's safety. Not anymore. It had become quite clear that the humans, at the very least, were diplomatic, looking for peace, looking for a home. _And perhaps more_ , Evfra allowed himself to think before he hissed in annoyance.

The message he had received from Jaal that day was rambling, as Jaal tended to be. Long winded and wordy and full of carefully articulated sentences. _Please allow me the use of the reflecting pool tomorrow. I know not what time I will need it, so please keep people away for the entire day. And possibly the evening, as well. I will see you tomorrow beforehand, to give an oral report of Voeld's progress, if my written update was not proper._

That was the gist of the message, anyway. It had gone on, needlessly, for much longer.

Evfra snorted, taking a sip of the drink and wincing at how it burned. It had no sweetness, much like the Krogan who created it, but it was doing well to alleviate the darkness in Evfra's heart.

It was late. The market was quiet. The bar was empty, save for himself and Roaan, who was idly wiping the same space of counter he had been ruminating over for the past three hours. Roaan was ready to go home to his young wife. Like every other angara, he had a family he cared deeply for; who he yearned to be with. But there was one thing stronger than family, and that was duty. And so Roaan stayed here as Efvra nursed his drink.

"Go on home, it is late," Evfra sighed, and Roaan looked both thrilled and hesitant all in one instant.

"I don't mind, Evfra. We can speak about what is bothering you if you would like?"

Evfra smiled wryly. He couldn't help it. His issues at the moment were unusual and would only cause more trouble to speak of it. "Go home. Be with your wife."

Roaan nodded silently and began packing things away. It only took him a few moments before he was departing the bar, calling a soft good night to his last customer.

Evfra glanced at the sky and couldn't tell the time of night. It was that late, he mused to himself. But there was a flickering speck of light in the distance; one that grew brighter and stronger with each passing second.

Evfra knew what it was before the ship came close enough to distinguish. The SSV Tempest. He had seen her gleaming flank descending to port more times than he could count. It seemed as if the crew of the Tempest had made Aya their new port of call.

Evfra got a jolt of admiration, or - dare he admit it - excitement each time the beautiful ship descended. But it would always be replaced by the same sinking feeling he had gotten after Jaal's message. What he couldn't tell Roaan, what he couldn't tell anyone, was that the Pathfinder was the source of his excitement and misery in equal parts.

As if he had spoken a spell, the very human that had driven him to drink arrived not an hour later, dressed in all black, including a thick scarf wound around her slender neck.

"Evfra," she said, and she sounded both surprised and pleased to see him. Which certainly did not make Evfra's feelings any less muddled.

"Pathfinder," he greeted. "I sent Roaan home; I'm afraid we have no drinks to share this night."

Even so, Ryder took a seat beside him, turning her gemlike eyes onto his. "That's fine; I wasn't planning on drinking. I just wanted to take a night stroll. Jaal mentioned Aya is most beautiful when quiet."

"That does not sound like Jaal," Evfra said directly. _That sounds like me._

"Maybe he just knew I would appreciate it," she admitted with a soft chuckle. She lifted her face to the cool breeze winding through the flora and sighed deeply, contentedly. "Aya is so gorgeous. I'm jealous I can't stay longer."

Evfra wanted to point out that she hadn't even experienced the most beautiful parts of their planet, but that brought his mind back to the request Jaal had sent his way. The reflecting pool.

"I'm sure you will see more of it, parts that you will appreciate even more than the markets."

Ryder smiled softly and tilted her head. "It sounds like you're offering to give me a tour?"

Evfra felt the heat rise to his neck and was thankful that Ryder wasn't versed in their physiology. Perhaps. He wasn't sure how much Jaal had imparted, but Jaal did seem to be quite bad at keeping things from the human. "I think Jaal would be better suited for such tours," he intoned, harsher than he had intended.

Ryder frowned.  Her brow creased and her eyes crinkled at the corners. Humans were so strange looking, Evfra found himself thinking, not for the first time. But there was something about this particular human that, for some reason, he found intoxicating.

"Is everything okay, Evfra?" she asked gently. She reached out to him, but he pulled away sharply, and her hand retreated into the pockets of her jacket, her face turning a pale pink in embarrassment. "Sorry. I'm a little too touchy-feely, I guess."

Evfra's translator didn't pick up the phrase, but he got the intent through her tone. "It is not… You need not apologize; I am only uncomfortable with touch."

She looked surprised. After all, angara were known for their freedom with touch, hugs, kisses. But Evfra hadn't been an ordinary angara for a long time. Too severe. Too afraid, he was willing to admit now that the Ryncol was warming his body.

"Do you love him?" Evfra asked, so suddenly he wasn't sure he had said it out loud. The darkening of Ryder's cheeks, however, confirmed that, yes, he had just said it out loud. "Jaal," he added, as if that needed clarification.

"I-" Ryder stammered, cutting herself off. Her face was getting darker and darker and Evfra, for one moment, was concerned blood was filling her head and would make it explode. He was sure that would be a fatal design flaw in a creature, but he also wasn't versed in human's bodily responses, so….

"He loves you, you know," Evfra continued as if his mouth was no longer his mouth and his brain had been hijacked by a particularly vindictive and self-destructive ahdi. "You must know. He wants…."

Ryder was clearing her throat, trying to regain composure but failing miserably. He couldn't blame the small, soft creature. He had just assaulted her with a conversation she never expected to have with him.  He pushed his drink at her and she took it swiftly, downing half of the glass in one go. She slammed the glass to the bar and took a few gasping breaths before coughing. Her face was still red, but it didn't take a doctor to guess it was more about the sudden burst of harsh liquor in her system.

It took her a few moments to compose herself, but once she did, she smiled hesitantly at Evfra "Um… sorry, you just caught me off-guard I didn't expect to, well… to have this conversation with you."

Evfra nodded but said nothing.

Ryder cleared her throat again, before murmuring, "I… we… Jaal and I haven't talked about that. I mean…" another clearing of her throat. "I know we both really… like one another. A lot. But he's never said that he…."

She trailed off for a moment, but she was smiling, and the smile was all that Evfra needed to know she felt the same for Jaal as he did for her. As Evfra did for her.

He looked away from her and finished the rest of the drink. "He is a good angara. He is loyal and full of compassion. He will be good to you and for you."

Ryder's smile deepened and she hesitantly reached out to Evfra again, slowly, making sure he wasn't planning on denying her touch again. And he didn't. He let her hand fall on his arm and he could feel her cool fingers through the thin civilian tunic. "Thank you, Evfra. For trusting us." At his questioning glance, she added, "The Initiative. The strange aliens," she added with a soft chuckle.

Evfra shook his head. "I am still wary of the Initiative and the aliens, Pathfinder. The one I trust is you." He stood, his legs like rubber but his pride did not allow him to waver, not in front of Ryder.

Ryder stood, as well, and did stumble slightly, her cheeks glowing a pale pink - from the alcohol or the uneasiness of her legs, Evfra wasn't sure.

Instead of going her own way, Ryder approached him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "You're sweet, Evfra. I know you try to hide it. But you shouldn't."

Evfra resisted the urges to push her away, or kiss the top of her head, which smelled like exotic flowers and a tinge of metal. Instead, he steeled himself against his feelings, as was his way, and murmured, "Goodnight… Ryder."

They parted ways as the first blush of dawn was rising in the distance, a cacophony of orange and purple fading into the dark of the retreating night.


	2. Talking in Code

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Two - Ryder and Jaal get closer. Jaal and Evfra have a falling out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything! The title song for this chapter is "Talking in Code" by Margot & The Nuclear So And So's. Please enjoy!

When Jaal awoke, it was in Ryder’s cabin, curled up on his side on top of her bed.  Ryder was in front of him in nothing but her underclothes, the length of her body pressing into his.  Jaal took a moment to study her - the curve of her hip, so alien but so appealing.  The tattoo on her shoulder and side in the shape of something she called ivy, a creeping vine covered in leaves.  Her skin seemed translucent in the light of Aya, streaming in through her cabin windows.

They had been doing this for weeks.  Falling asleep in one another’s arms.  It was chaste and gentle; something Jaal had wanted to give Ryder after hearing of her tumultuous past with suitors.  There had been a few before him, but there was never romance.  The relationships had all fizzled out quickly after they got her into bed.  One had been a turian, an officer on the Citadel.  Another had been a researcher she worked with on one of her Prothean digs.  And the last, she admitted, was an asari dancer at a club on Omega - a place that, when mentioned, made Ryder shift uncomfortably.  

Jaal wanted to prove to her that he was not that type of person.  She said she knew, but even so, Jaal worried.  

And so they had kept themselves innocent of each other, other than some petting and kissing.  It was frustrating for both of them, of course, but Jaal knew it wouldn’t be long before he made her his.  In fact, he had every intention of taking her to the reflecting pool on Aya in the late afternoon.  It was the most peaceful time with excellent sun and warm water. Thinking about it made him smile as he pressed his face into Ryder’s hair, breathing her in.

But she smelled different than usual.  In addition to the flowery scent of her shampoo, he picked up on the smell of Aya - the smell of Tavetaan, the smell of....

Of Evfra. 

Ryder woke then, yawning and stretching out, turning to face him.  She smiled, and when she did, she looked so innocent that Jaal almost forgot about smelling another angara on her.

“Good morning,” she said sweetly, stretching toward him, her lips brushing his.  When he didn’t respond, she pulled back with a concerned look on her face.  “Jaal, is everything okay?”

Jaal didn’t want to accuse her.  He didn’t want to sound jealous.  After Allia’s betrayal, however, he couldn’t help the pinprick of anger that flitted through him.  “Did you sleep well, darling one?” he asked, trying to keep a lid on the emotions trying to come to the surface.  In this one particular instance, he did not want to be emotional.

“Yeah, I slept okay.  I went for a jog through the market earlier,” she said with a slight shrug.  Her eyes then lit up, and she said, “Oh, I saw Evfra at Tavetaan, just… sitting there.  By himself.  He seemed upset, so I sat and talked with him a while.”

Jaal felt the vise grip on his chest loosen.  Windswept Aya made it easy to pick up the scent of others.  And as Jaal leaned down to kiss her shoulder, he confirmed that there was no smell lingering on her skin other than a slight tang of sweat and soap.

“Did Evfra say what troubled him?” Jaal asked, the relief in him so great that he could barely contain it.  He kissed down her shoulder and arm, stopping only at her fingertips.  

Ryder was giggling quietly, her fingers flexing and writhing against his face.  “That tickles,” she murmured before pulling his face back up to hers, kissing him again.  “No, Evfra didn’t say what was bothering him.”

“Then what did you talk about?” Jaal asked, but his words were only automatic. Mentally, he was undressing her, tasting her, feeling her.  Jaal ducked his head to her neck, kissing along the beating jugular and down to her collarbone, nipping it slightly.

Ryder leaned back on the bed, moaning softly.  Her fingernails grazed across his arms, scratching lightly, and in their stead, a slight tingle of electricity remained.  Not true electricity, but the same rush of feeling that came from it.

“Um,” Ryder hummed, not seeming able to find her voice.

“Was it the Resistance?” Jaal asked, sucking a bit of her skin into his mouth.  She mewled in pleasure, arching, eyes closed and mouth open in what Jaal could only hope was exhilaration.

Jaal pulled away reluctantly, watching the skin he had been ruminating on turn a dark reddish purple.  Another bruise on her small body, but this one, at least, would have a pleasant memory behind it. 

Ryder made a soft noise of annoyance and opened her eyes, frowning at Jaal.  “You stopped.”

“I did.”

Ryder let out a deep sigh.  “I think I get the term ‘blue balls’ now.”

“What?”

Ryder shrugged and shook her head.  “What were you asking about?”

“Blue… balls?”

“No, before that,” Ryder giggled.

“Ah.  Evfra.  What did you two talk about?”  Jaal’s hand smoothed down Ryder’s side.

Ryder smacked gently at his hand.  “If we’re going to have a conversation you need to stop distracting me,” she chided playfully.  “Um… well not much.  He wouldn’t tell me what was wrong.  He seemed tired and sad.  But he talked about you… and me.”

“Oh?” Jaal asked, brow raising.  “And what did Evfra say about us?”

Ryder was blushing as she bit her lower lip.  Jaal suppressed a moan, wishing he was biting that plump lip.  “Well.  He said that you love me.  And asked if I love you.”

The words distracted Jaal from his less than innocent daydream.  “He did?  And what did you say?”

Ryder chuckled and slid backward, sitting up in one smooth, practiced motion.  Her legs folded underneath her and she tilted her head, messy hair falling to one side.  “Do you?  Love me, I mean.”

Jaal let out a deep breath and smiled wanly.  “Do you need to ask?”  He had wanted to say it at the reflecting pool, but it seemed Evfra was going to make that impossible.   

Ryder looked down at the crumpled sheets.  “Well, I didn’t think so until right now.”

Jaal sat up and took her chin in one hand, turning it up to meet his.  He kissed her, more forcefully than usual, and then pulled back.  “Sara Ryder, my darling one, I love you more than I ever knew was possible.  You are my entire world.  You have been for a long time now.”

Sudden tears were streaming down her face, and she launched herself into his lap, holding onto him like he was the last lifeline she had.  “Thank you,” she whispered against his neck.

“And do you love me?” he asked softly.

Ryder laughed and then hiccuped, shaking her head as if the question was ridiculous.  And, of course, it was.  “I fell in love with you the second we met.”

Jaal chuckled.  “The second we met, I am pretty sure I was assessing if I needed to kill you in front of everyone.  I was threatening, even.”

Ryder was laughing, too, her arms holding him tighter.  “Yeah, well.  I guess I don’t respond to threats appropriately.”

“I suppose not,” Jaal agreed.

 

* * *

 

Jaal knocked on Evfra’s door that night, his soul lighter than it had been in years.  He was thrumming with love and energy.  The angara had a saying.  When all love is given, the heart is fuller.  Jaal had never really understood it until then.  He still had the memory of Ryder’s skin on his, the taste of her in his mouth.  Everything about their evening together was flashing in the back of his mind.

The door opened and Evfra stood before him, a drink in one hand, his Rofjinn in the other.  “Oh, it’s you,” Evfra said, seeming unimpressed, and stepped away from the door to let Jaal in.

Jaal sat on Evfra’s couch and waited for Evfra to come back from his bedroom where he was folding his Rofjinn for the following day.  When Evfra did return to the main room, his face was stonier than usual.  “I take it you had a lovely time with your human?” he asked, sitting in a chair across from Jaal. He didn’t offer Jaal a drink, which was strange.  The two of them had been the closest thing to friends either of them had ever had.  Evfra was downright cold suddenly.  

“I did have a lovely time with Ryder,” Jaal began slowly, not sure what was happening or why.  “She mentioned she saw you early this morning at Tavetaan.”

Evfra’s face didn’t twitch.  “What of it?”

Jaal let out a deep sigh, leaning forward.  “What is troubling you, Evfra?  Ryder noticed it, I notice it.  Is there something I can do to assist?”

Evfra chuckled, but it was not kind or happy.  “Assist?  There is nothing you can do to assist.  You’ve only made things worse.”

Jaal blinked at him. _Confused_ was too light of a word for what Jaal was feeling now.

“You come to my home after bedding her and, what?  Wish to tell me about it? Wish to crow about the details?  About the smell of her hair or the feel of her around you?  The taste of her?  I can smell her on you from here.”

Jaal opened his mouth and then closed it again.  Things began lining up in his mind and then finally clicked.  “You asked her if she loved me,” Jaal murmured.

Evfra laughed coldly.  “It was quite clear that she did.  Congratulations must be in order.”

“You asked because if she said no, if you suspected that she did not feel for me what I felt for her….”  Jaal shook his head, the weight of it all crashing down on him.  “You want her.” 

Evfra narrowed his eyes, and Jaal was momentarily concerned for his own safety.  He was relatively sure he could defend himself against Evfra one-on-one, but Evfra had a number of guns nearby, and Jaal had none.  If Evfra wanted him dead, Jaal would be dead.

“I do not  _want_ her,” Evfra hissed, getting to his feet and pacing behind the chair frantically.  “She’s like a sickness, a tumor I cannot cut out.  She is in my mind always.  The smell of her hair, the feel of her hand on my arm, the way she smiles, the way her eyes glint in the moonlight.”  Evfra cursed heavily and threw his glass against the wall, an umber stain smearing across it as the glass tinkled to the floor.

Jaal stared at him, unsure what to do or to say.  The situation was all too strange, too unexpected. Was there even anything to say?  “Evfra-”

“Get out,” Evfra snapped.  “Leave. Before I make you leave.”

Jaal stood and went to the door, hesitating.  “I did not know, Evfra.  I’m… I’m sorry.”

“Get out!” he roared, and Jaal ducked through the door, rattled to his core.


	3. Holocene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Three, in which Ryder attempts to talk Evfra off his ledge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything! The title song for this chapter is "Holocene," by Bon Iver. Please enjoy!

Ryder pulled herself out of the hot water, wishing she could have stayed under the spray, remembering her and Jaal’s time under the waterfall earlier that day.  Her body was sore and tingling, somehow lighter after hours spent exploring one another.

She’d never been so in love in her life.  Not even close to it.  Her body and mind were humming with the strength of her happiness.  

Andromeda, as it turned out, had been the best decision she’d ever made.  Even if she and Jaal didn’t last, even if this feeling eventually faded, it had been worth it.  

She slipped into a pair of panties and a bra, covering herself with her robe before wandering into her room.  She was exhausted but thrumming with energy at the same time.  She wasn’t sure she could focus on the data pads piling up on her desk, or that report she was supposed to submit to Tann by 0900 tomorrow morning.

And she didn’t have to, as it turned out, because Jaal came into the room at that moment, saving her from paperwork.

“Hey,” she said almost shyly, tilting her head to the side and smiling at her angaran lover.  “How was Evfra?”  Jaal’s face was distressed, which made her smile disappear immediately.  “What’s wrong?  Did something happen?”

Jaal sat on her bed heavily, head in his hands.  “Evfra is in love with you.”

Ryder blinked.  “What?”

Jaal looked up at her.  “I had no idea, Sara.  He has had feelings for you for longer than I know.  He is, understandably, incensed.  Angry with me.”

Ryder stood silently for a moment, trying to wrap her brain around it all.  “He’s… wait, he’s mad at you?  Because he, what, because he thinks he loves me?”

Jaal sighed.  “You should not downplay his feelings, my love.  We angara feel very strongly.  When we love, it is deep.”

Ryder bit her lower lip before going to Jaal, settling in his lap.  His arms encircled her and held her close to him, his face buried in her wet hair.  “I’m sorry, Jaal.  I can’t imagine how hard this is.”

Jaal let out a shuddering sigh.  “He was the closest thing I had to a friend.”

Ryder kissed his cheek.  “Should I talk to him? Would that help at all?”

Jaal chuckled humorlessly.  “I doubt anything can help, aside from time.”

Ryder nodded, but the niggling feeling at the back of her brain wouldn’t quiet.  She needed to do something.  She couldn’t let this come between them.  She couldn’t let _herself_ come between them.  If there was only something she could say to make it better.

Ryder waited until Jaal had fallen into an uneasy sleep before sending a message to Evfra.

_Evfra,_

_Jaal told me what happened.  Can we talk?_

_I don’t want to ruin what you two have.  It’s breaking my heart to think I’ve caused a rift between you._

_Tavetaan?_

_-R._

Evfra’s response took close to twenty minutes to receive, and when it came through it was only a navpoint.  His home, more than likely.  That made Ryder hesitate.  If he was in love with her, and if he was angry at them, perhaps being alone in his home was not a good idea.  But, at the same time, it was Evfra.  Ryder was fairly sure that Evfra wouldn’t hurt her.  Even so, she thought it was better to have some plan.  “SAM?  Could you let Jaal know I went to Evfra’s to talk to him if he wakes up before I get back?”

“Of course, Pathfinder,” SAM replied.

“And if things go south? Wake him up immediately.”

“That goes without saying, Pathfinder.”

“Thanks, SAM.”

 

* * *

 

Ryder sat across from Evfra who was doing his damnedest not to meet her gaze.

“He should not have told you,” Evfra grumbled, eyes staring holes into the glass in his hand.  He was slurring slightly - it seemed as though he’d been drinking for some time.  It was no wonder he hadn’t wanted to go out in public.

“I think I have a right to know,” Ryder replied gently.  “Especially if this changes our professional relationship."

Evfra snorted.  “Unlike you aliens, we can keep personal and professional separate.” 

Ryder wasn’t sure what he was getting at - that her union with Jaal was unprofessional?  That her species was unprofessional?  Ryder attempted not to let it upset her - that was what he wanted.  “Evfra, I don't deserve to be treated like this. And more so, Jaal doesn't deserve to be treated like this. He's your friend, right? You're breaking his heart.”

“I'm sure his heart will mend with your help,” Evfra mumbled, swigging the rest of the liquid in his tumbler.  He got up and wandered into the kitchen, pouring the rest of a bottle into his glass.  He stood there in the kitchen taking deep pulls from the tumbler, watching her with something between disdain and hurt.

Ryder sighed, glancing back toward the door. Things were not going how she'd hoped, but it was kind of par for the course when it came to expectations.

“Leave if you want,” Evfra grumbled.

That made Ryder pause. _If you want._ Ryder bit her lower lip, trying to plan out her next move very carefully.  She stood and walked into the kitchen. Evfra eyes widened slightly at her proximity as she reached around him for the empty bottle of tavum.

“Got any more?”

Evfra made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat but pulled a fresh bottle down from a cabinet.  He grabbed a second glass and poured it for her, handing it over.

Ryder downed it in one go, wincing at the odd taste but nodding for a refill. Evfra obliged, unable to keep the impressed look on his face.

“Are you trying to make Jaal jealous?” Evfra asked. There was almost a tinge of amusement in his voice. “Coming here to drink with me in the early morning hours?”

“Nope, I am trying to tear down this wall of emotional bullshit between you two.” Ryder swallowed another mouthful of the drink, her cheeks feeling slightly numb. “So, how do we do this? Tear down this wall, I mean.”

Evfra made a sharp noise in the back of his throat.  “I don't think that is possible.”

Ryder rolled her eyes. “Bullshit. I call bullshit. You know why?” Ryder took another drink. “You and Jaal are friends, damn it. You're close. You love each other. Why are you letting me come between that?”

Evfra’s gaze was hard. “Because I love you and he came here to gloat about bedding you. He won, and he rubbed it in my face, as you humans love to say.”

“Jesus, Evfra. He didn't come here to _gloat_ ; he came here to share his joy with his best friend. He didn't know you have feelings for me - how could he? You never said anything like that before; you never acted like you had anything but disdain for me. How was anyone supposed to know?”

Evfra was silent, looking deep into his glass. Ryder was sure she’d hit a nerve and, hopefully, it was a good one. Hopefully, it woke him up from his pity party.

“Would knowing my feelings sooner have changed anything?” he asked finally, still looking into his glass.

Ryder sighed, looking away.  “Evfra…  Jaal and I have spent so much time together. We've been in close quarters for the past year, getting to know one another. Learning from one another. There was…  there was no chance I could have fallen for anyone who wasn't there with me through thick and thin. Jaal and I came together out of respect and shared trauma. I am there for him, and he's there for me. If it had been you on board the Tempest and not Jaal…  yeah, maybe things would have been different.”

Ryder’s omnitool buzzed with a message from Jaal.   _Are you safe?_ Ryder replied an affirmative, to which Jaal responded, _I am on my way._

“Jaal is on his way,” Ryder informed Evfra, taking another drink. Her glass was almost empty.  “Can I expect you to play nice?”

Evfra growled and finished his drink, pouring another. He topped off Ryder’s glass before pulling a third tumbler down and filling it.

The door opened, and Jaal glanced around, concern apparent on his face. He looked confused when he found them in the kitchen, drinking.

“Did you think I would force myself on her?” Evfra sneered.

Ryder smacked Evfra’s arm, making his eyes widen in disbelief. “Play nice,” she reminded him, grabbing the third drink and carrying it over to Jaal.  “We've been discussing how Evfra’s been a bit of a dick.”

The very corners of Jaal’s lips twitched into a faint smile. Ryder wanted very much to kiss those lips, but she knew it wouldn't help their current situation, so she held back.  Evfra joined them in the living room where they all sat down. The awkward silence stretched between them.

And then Jaal broke it.  “Evfra, you are like a brother to me,” he said emotion thick in his voice. “You know this.  I love you as a brother. I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you.”

Evfra was silent, twirling his glass in hand, watching the liquid move. Finally, he sighed. “I know, Jaal. I've not been myself recently.  I know it is unfair to the both of you.  But am I not allowed my feelings?”

“Of course you are,” Jaal said quickly, getting up from the couch to move in front of Evfra’s chair. He knelt there in front of him, eyes pleading. “I want you to tell me when I do things that bother you. But you never said anything, Evfra. You only reacted with anger.” 

Evfra made a noise deep in his throat, glancing over at Ryder.  “It was not fair to you. Or to Ryder.”

“It was not,” Jaal agreed.

Evfra sighed. “I am not like you, Jaal. It is uncomfortable for me to express myself so freely. But,” he sighed again. “I will try.”

Jaal laughed, the deep chuckle vibrating through Ryder’s body as Jaal pulled Evfra down into a bruising hug.  “All is forgiven. Sara?”

Ryder grinned and winked at Evfra. “We're all good, Evfra. Just be honest with us. And on our part, we'll try to be less… couple-y.”

“That would be appreciated,” Evfra admitted, pulling free from Jaal’s grasp. “You two should go. I need sleep before this alcohol wears off.”

Ryder grinned and stood, finishing her drink before hugging Evfra. Evfra returned it hesitantly, his body tense.  _We'll have to work on these hugs_ , Ryder almost said. But they'd made remarkable progress in a single night - there was always time to open Evfra up further.

 _Baby steps,_ Ryder thought to herself as she and Jaal walked back to the Tempest, hand-in-hand.   _Baby steps are good._


End file.
